Clean Gut Cleanse: Week 1

Day 1
Felt great in the morning...but I think I still had some delicious sugar and garbage in my system because by the end of the work day, I was hungry and had a headache. Went to bed early because of the headache.

Day 2
Still have frickn' headache! Starting to feel grumpy and hungry. Tried listening to binaural beats to help with headache since we're not supposed to take ibuprofen or aspirin. Helped a bit but it's still lingering and even though I just ate my lunch (the cashew chicken smells phenom...taste is pretty bland....might have to alter it for other days) I still feel grumpy and unsatisfied. Was it this bad last year??? Sugar withdrawal maybe? I want chocolate cake with chocolate icing...well, if I really think about it, I don't want that but I do want something to make me feel better about feeling deprived. Breakthrough!

Day 3
Broke down last night and took a single ibuprofen...and another one this morning. I'm not sure if this headache is related to the cleanse because I have a history of headaches/migraines but I do know that if I didn't do something, I wasn't going to get any work done! Unfortunately, getting work done is key to remaining employed so get over it Cleanse!

Dinner was pretty good last night...had the roasted tomato soup and a salad with a hardboiled egg and dressing made from avocado, lemon juice, garlic powder and a little sea salt. Pretty satisfying for me but Ryan was hungry by dinner time. I need to remember to feed him more...
Tonight is our second body bootcamp for this 10 week Mayor's Fitness Challenge...just getting over being sore from the one on Saturday so I'm a lil scared. Made some quinoa today to eat with lunch along with some extra tamari. Figured the extra food would be a good idea to get rid of cravings and prepare me for the workout. Spent entirely too much time on Google yesterday trying to find snack options...going to try to make chocolate covered coconut macaroons this weekend...without any sugar. Wish me luck!

Day 4

Discovered yesterday afternoon that if I mix my strawberries with coconut flakes and raw cacao nibs, it is delicious and much more satisfying than eating them separately!

Last night's bootcamp was not that bad and I can't be sure if it's because I took it easy or I'm getting stronger (probably not yet) or they just made it easier. My headache finally broke yesterday and I have been in a much better mood ever since. I still get really hungry near the end of the workday but I think if I bring an extra shake or snack, that should take care of the problem.

Reviewed the menu for this weekend and next week and I am changing a few things up: can't imagine eating another bland zucchini dish so "Zucchini Wrapped Cod" is probably changing to "Turkey Bacon Wrapped Cod". I have no idea how turkey bacon is allowed on a cleanse but I'm not going to argue with Dr. Junger because that sounds really delicious and it will be a nice weekend treat. Found a fabulous recipe for coconut flour pancakes that I can't wait to try...maybe that will be dinner tonight? Also decided to switch up the "Unpeanut Noodle" thing because I need a break from "Asian" inspired foods. This stupid cashew chicken is really getting on my nerves and I made too much so it's been cashew chicken alllll week. Also, we switched up our shakes today: instead of the usual we used lite coconut milk (the kind in the can), blueberries, lemon juice, kale and it tasted almost exactly the same as the other shake. Oh well, I tried.

Day 5
Made the coconut flour pancakes last night and they were so good. Maybe not regular food good, but for Clean Gut? I was in heaven! I left out the sweetener and added apple pie spice (which is basically just cinnamon, I think maybe nutmeg and something else). To top it off, I used almond butter and frozen raspberries. I heated them up in the microwave and mixed them together but if I made it again, I'd probably keep them separate. If you're craving bread/sweets, this is a great cleanse hack to beat the craving with "Clean" food.

I also made these chocolate dipped raspberry macaroons but I used unsweetened coconut flakes, no sugar, no salt, unsweetened/dairy free baking chocolate, frozen raspberries instead of fresh and 3 egg whites and a 1/4 cup of coconut oil to make up for the sugar being absent. I have to admit, the first few bites are tough. Chocolate without sugar is bitter (duh), but after a few bites, you start to appreciate the flavors without the sugar. I could have added a Cleanse approved sweetener (ugh stupid nasty Stevia) but for me, I'm trying to train my tastebuds to like less sweetness. I took a crappy picture with my phone but you can still see how beautiful these suckers turned out.

Toasted coconut is gorgeous and delicious

If you're unsure about the bitterness of the chocolate, you could eat these without the chocolate covering and it is slightly sweet naturally from the coconut. 

I think I'm going to make a roasted chicken this weekend because it sounds awesome. Feeling a lot better than I did earlier in the week! 

Day 6

Another body bootcamp this morning on the beach in balmy 45 degree weather. Had our shakes before we went and it kept us satiated throughout the workout...nice. Went to the farmer's market afterwards and there was also a street "home and business expo" so we had to walk past kettle korn, a food truck, and the smell of bacon coming from somewhere in addition to the usual delicious fresh baked goods, coffee and cheese of the farmer's market. THEN, we made the mistake of going grocery shopping after all this temptation and about 4 hours away from our last meal...psychological torture is going past the bakery and buy 1 get 1 massive bags of candy and not being able to eat either! It was a rough morning. At least we had a delicious lunch to look forward to..oh wait, no, we didn't. Somehow we still have leftover cashew chicken. We have eaten it every day this cleanse except for the first day when we ate the 3 taste noodle variation. And guess what? There is plenty for lunch tomorrow! I know it's very bratty to complain about having more than enough food to eat but I think we're well past that. This throws off my original food plan but it works out because Cleansing is damn expensive and it helps to not have to purchase grass-fed (and humane certified) stew beef. Since I'm not making that anymore, I have some cauliflower that is no longer needed later this week. Popped it in the oven at 400 degrees with some olive oil, sea salt and pepper and I'm waiting to find out if it will be awesome or an utter disappointment. I am such a complainer but hopefully, if you're reading this and doing the cleanse too, you know exactly what I mean. *Update: cauliflower "poppers" are awesome

Autumn Slaw

Day 7

Made a roasted chicken today because it sounded like a good idea. Ate it with autumn slaw (made with carrot instead of apple) and it was pretty good...especially with some savory roasted nuts sprinkled over slaw. Was feeling super grumpy again that afternoon, so we made coconut flour pancakes again for dinner and afterwards I felt like a superhero! I had energy again and I didn't want to curl up in a ball and cry anymore. I had so much energy and happiness that I even started creating our food for the week! Asparagus Truffle Oil Soup? Done! The best lentil soup I've ever eaten? Done! Chopped strawberries portioned into containers? Shazam! I'm finding that my biggest cravings aren't for sweets anymore, nope, straight up BREAD! Croissants, baguettes, texas toast, health nut bread with peanut butter...drool...Onwards to Week 2!